By consensus, Samsung’s newest addition to its Galaxy lineup of smartphones -- the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8 Plus -- appear to be the number one (or only) choice when it comes to taking full advantage of ultra fast network connection speeds that some wireless carriers are already starting to introduce. There is a big reason for this, of course -- the Galaxy S8 models happen to pack Qualcomm’s mightiest chip (so far), the Snapdragon 835, or in other markets, the South Korean’s own Exynos 8895 processor. Both chips are capable of functioning with a Gigabit LTE, a form of 4G wireless technology that is much faster than most 4G offerings nowadays. Moreover, 2017 is looking to be the year in which support for Gigabit LTE will be one of the most coveted features in a high profile smartphone release.
But it is possible that Apple’s upcoming iPhone 8 will not come with that particular feature. The company designs the chips it uses for its iPhone devices, and it also makes full use of modems built by Qualcomm and Intel. The newest available modem from Intel, however, does not support Gigabit LTE connection speeds, which could compel the iPhone maker to slow down the Qualcomm version in order to make sure there is consistency in all its smartphones.
So what happens if the iPhone 8 does not have support for Gigabit LTE? It goes without saying that it will hit a market that will most likely be already teeming with Gigabit LTE handsets, and it would be rather unusual for the tenth anniversary iPhone to be playing catch up to the competition. To be clear about everything, the Galaxy S8 devices are still the only devices that can tap into Gigabit LTE. But now that the models are out in the market, other Android phone makers will likely follow in Samsung’s footsteps. As a matter of fact, Qualcomm fully expects ten more new Android powered handsets with Gigabit LTE support to be released in the next few months.
Of course, Gigabit LTE is largely an untested tech yet, at least in the eyes of consumers everywhere. And for every mobile user excited to experience this new tech, there is another who is harboring some doubt. But one can not deny that Gigabit LTE is generating some buzz lately. It certainly helps that major wireless carriers, such as Verizon Wireless (with its Fios Gigabit Connection) and T-Mobile, and even phone makers are helping people become more aware of the technology.
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https://www.wirefly.com/blog/news/iphone-8-may-not-be-capable-faster-speeds-compared-galaxy-s8